European Union Ambassador to Israel, Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, Slams Israel for Not Easing West Bank Restrictions

EU Envoy slams Israel for not easing West Bank restrictions

Wednesday February 20, 2008 00:15 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The European Union Ambassador to Israel, Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal, criticized Israel on Monday for not easing the restrictions on the occupied West Bank, and added that Israel should have more faith in the Palestinian Authority.

The French Press Agency reported that Cibrian told reporters in Jerusalem that the “European Union is not comfortable with the Israeli actions in the West Bank”.

The agency added that the Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salaam Fayyad, is an exceptional partner for peace but the Israel army is not easing the restrictions in the West Bank.

“We would like to see Israel at least thinking about lifting some of the restrictions in the West Bank”. He stated, “We would like to see a sort of relations with the Palestinian Authority”.

Fayyad was appointed as a PM by president Abbas after the Hamas movement overtook the Gaza Strip last June. After that, the peace process was re-launched on the basis of an agreement reached in 2003.

The agreement called on Israel to remove the illegal settlements in the West Bank and called on the Palestinians to improve the security conditions in the Palestinian territories.

Hamas was democratically elected during the Palestinians legislative elections in January 25, 2006 and won the vast majority of the parliamentary seats. The movement currently dominates the legislative council and insists that its government, which was dissolved by Abbas, last year, is the legitimate government.

The Palestinian Authority started implementing a security plan to control the situation in the West Bank and deployed hundreds of security personnel in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Meanwhile, Cibrian said that Israel did not adjust with the new situation after Fayyad government was formed and continued to carry the same acts it conducted in 2002 and 2003, referring to the peak times of the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

“There is a sense of despair that the efforts of Fayyad in Nablus did not affect the Israeli positions”, he added.

Cibrian also criticized Israel for not removing the 500 roadblocks in the occupied West Bank.

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